Canada Among 28 Countries Calling for Gaza War to ‘End Now’

This picture taken from a position at Israel's border with the Gaza Strip shows smoke billowing during an Israeli strike on the besieged territory on July 17, 2025. Jack Guez/AFP via Getty Images

Canada has joined 27 other countries in calling for the war in Gaza to “end now,” issuing a joint statement that was rebuffed by Israel.

Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand called the situation in the Gaza Strip “horrific” as she announced Canada’s stance on July 21. Canada is calling for “an immediate ceasefire, the release of all hostages and a full resumption of humanitarian aid, including food,” Anand said on X.

The statement says Israel’s model to deliver humanitarian aid is “dangerous, fuels instability and deprives Gazans of human dignity.”

Israel established a new mechanism to distribute aid in a bid to avoid Hamas taking control of it. It has been followed by chaotic scenes with a number of Palestinians getting killed while trying to access humanitarian assistance.

The 28 countries have also called for the “immediate and unconditional” release of the hostages held captive by Hamas since Oct. 7, 2023. The statement says that a negotiated cease-fire offers “the best hope of bringing them home and ending the agony of their families.”

The joint statement is signed by mostly European countries, as well as non-European countries such as Australia, Japan, and New Zealand.

Israel’s Response

Israel has rejected the joint statement, saying it is “disconnected from reality and sends the wrong message to Hamas.”

“All statements and all claims should be directed at the only party responsible for the lack of a deal for the release of hostages and a ceasefire: Hamas, which started this war and is prolonging it,” Israel’s foreign ministry said in a July 21 post on X.

The ministry added that while Israel has “repeatedly” agreed to a cease-fire proposal, Hamas has “stubbornly” refused to and has instead been spreading lies about Israel.

“The statement fails to focus the pressure on Hamas and fails to recognize Hamas’s role and responsibility for the situation,” the ministry said.

Israeli Foreign Affairs Minister Gideon Sa’ar noted that Hamas had welcomed the joint statement from 28 countries.

“If Hamas embraces you - you are in the wrong place,” Sa’ar said on X.

Canada’s Stance

Ottawa called Iran a “grave instability” in the region as Israel and the United States attacked Iranian nuclear and military assets in recent weeks, but has also been critical when it comes to Israel’s actions in the Gaza Strip. Prime Minister Mark Carney stated that Canada considers Iran a state sponsor of terror as the country has been pursuing nuclear weapons and has a stated goal of destroying Israel.

After Israel and Iran reached a cease-fire in late June, Carney welcomed it and said that it should lead to broader de-escalation in the region.

Earlier in June, Canada backed a UN resolution that called for ending the blockade on the Gaza Strip, opening all border crossings, ensuring humanitarian aid could reach the civilian population, and releasing all hostages. Ottawa’s support for the resolution was criticized by Israel and Canada’s Jewish community advocates who said it was a one-sided resolution that didn’t condemn Hamas.

The United States voted against the resolution, calling it “biased” and saying it “marks yet another failure on the part of the United Nations to condemn Hamas.”

While Canada had abstained from supporting a similar UN resolution in September last year, the Canadian government said it decided to support the resolution this time, saying there was an “urgent need” for a cease-fire in a June 12 statement.

Noé Chartier contributed to this report.